Next book is 'Seven Roads To Hell' about the Winter offensive (Battle Of The Bulge)

I remember crying after reading A Farewell To Arms too.

I cried because I wasted hours of my life reading it and had no choice. It was an AP summer reading assignment in high school.

The only thing from Hemingway I ever liked was The Old Man and the Sea.

Hemingway's tendency to jump between bare description and the most elaborate ever written drives me nuts. I also never cared for his character development.

If I'm going with an American author of that time period then I'd have to go with Faulkner. I never have liked the Lost Generation authors, though I do like Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio - and I only read that because he lived in Elyria, the city I was born in. But Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald - the big names of that group - never did it for me.

As for me right now, I'm rereading Asimov's Foundation Series and might go beyond that back into his Robot Series or reread his Empire novels. I've often thought about starting with I,Robot and going all the way through the Robot Series, into the Empire novels, and then concluding with the Foundation Series to get the true scope of Asimov's future world over thousands of years.

I keep meaning to read some Faulkner

But I do love Hemingway

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

I read this a while back. It hit home with the chapters about Fallujah and Jerry Zovko. I thought it was a good read. Erik Prince seemed like a man in the right place at the right time. Built an empire. I didn't understand the religion connection.

Also saw a special on some late night TV show about the 'compound' in North Carolina. Impressive place. The driving track is world class. An asset to law enforcement for training.

Yet, it seems Prince let the money and power get to him / the company. I'm sure they had top quality soldiers and trainers. Then they brought in thugs and mercenaries. Iraq was the old wild west for them. It's interesting because the company is now called Xe and Prince stepped down.

Interested in checking out...In the President's Secret Service by Ron Kessler.Hopefully it's not just another retelling of Marilyn Monroe sneaking around the White House.

Anybody read the mindless Jack Reacher books from Lee Childs? Read a couple (the first, 'Killing Floor' and the 9th 'One Shot'). Liked them both for quick, thoughtless reads. Just wondered if anyone liked any of the others.

sicne finishing Slaughterhouse 5 I've read The Bell Jar, The Road, The Color Purple, a book on FDR a book on Churchill, Bret Easton Ellis'(of American Psycho fame) first novel Less Than Zero and am now reading

Fahrenheit 451

also I hear Frank Darabont is directing the film adaptation set for 2012 release

brilliant stuff

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

I've put the Russian Revolution on hold and decided to read the reverent Antony Beevor's 'The Battle For Spain' on the Spanish Civil War.He wrote the brilliant Stalingrad, (a staple for all those interested in WW2.)

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

Finished the Thomas Paine bio awhile back. Never can get enough history, and that brought me to...

Very even handed. Highlights the differences of the Coolidge/Mellon approach vs. the Hoover/Roosevelt approach. Strips away most of the edifice of the New Deal to reveal what really saved Roosevelt was not a recovery, but the war and general GOP ineptness...

GOP ineptness a trend that is repeating today... Hell reading this book is almost a carbon copy of today, just to a greater extreme...

Have about 10 books still waiting, mostly history or conservative clap-trap...

"When a man with money meets a man with experience, the man with experience leaves with money and the man with money leaves with experience."

The final chapter of the Bean quartet, which is part of the Ender series.

Have a smart kid between the age of 10 and 14? Have them read Ender's Game. Brilliant book, which may inspire them to read even more, as Orson Scott Card has created a wonderful universe populated by smart kids. The movie has been in the works forever, but apparently doesn't have the immediate appeal that something like Harry Potter has.

We need a TCF book exchange somehow. Some of the best books I've ever read were recommended here. Could trade some of these things off between us.

Love the Reacher books. Hands down the best thing to read on vacation sitting by the pool. If you like those you'd probably like the Vince Flynn books also. His main recurring character is a dude named Mitch Rapp who's kind of like a Jack Bauer type dude.

I recently finished The Road based on recommendations in this thread. After I finished it I spent about 2-3 days in a darkened corner of my basement curled up in a fetal position and weeping quietly to myself. I'm starting to come around now. Good book.

Orenthal wrote:Finished the Thomas Paine bio awhile back. Never can get enough history, and that brought me to...

Very even handed. Highlights the differences of the Coolidge/Mellon approach vs. the Hoover/Roosevelt approach. Strips away most of the edifice of the New Deal to reveal what really saved Roosevelt was not a recovery, but the war and general GOP ineptness...

GOP ineptness a trend that is repeating today... Hell reading this book is almost a carbon copy of today, just to a greater extreme...

Have about 10 books still waiting, mostly history or conservative clap-trap...

This is not meant to turn this into a political thread, but anytime you read a book written by someone from the left or right (and Shlaes is on the right), take the time to read criticism from someone respected on the other side. Especially if the book is something that takes a stance opposite the mainstream view. Especially if you are predisposed to agree with the author's conclusions.

There has been a large, large amount of criticism of Shlaes from the left, and you ought to be familiar with it. Just as someone reading something by, for example, Al Gore ought to be familiar with critiques of it.

Oh, and just to stay on topic:

I know more about pizza than you. Much more in fact. - Cerebral_DownTime

Look at Ziner trying to be cute, like he isn't just a MB nerd that just happens to like skiing, reading skin mags, and posting in NHB...

aoxo I totally understand your point, but don't need the lecture. Any chance the mainstream view is wrong? Not in terms of politics, but if WWII does not happen do we have the same history of the depression. Shales was very critical of the Republican party and especially Hoover's ineptitude. He would isolate himself from the problem, whereas, and she gushes that Roosevelt was a true leader. If anything Shales is a supporter of the Vienna School of economics, hence here love of Silent Cal and Mellon. I'd say both parites lack anything like those guys.

Have you read the book?

"When a man with money meets a man with experience, the man with experience leaves with money and the man with money leaves with experience."

Look at Ziner trying to be cute, like he isn't just a MB nerd that just happens to like skiing, reading skin mags, and posting in NHB...

aoxo I totally understand your point, but don't need the lecture. Any chance the mainstream view is wrong? Not in terms of politics, but if WWII does not happen do we have the same history of the depression. Shales was very critical of the Republican party and especially Hoover's ineptitude. He would isolate himself from the problem, whereas, and she gushes that Roosevelt was a true leader. If anything Shales is a supporter of the Vienna School of economics, hence here love of Silent Cal and Mellon. I'd say both parites lack anything like those guys.

Have you read the book?

Didn't mean to be a lecture, and I wouldn't have brought it up if I thought you were some kind of reactionary. Just a general point; I don't actually have anything to say one way or the other about this book, other than I know it created strong reactions. And of course the mainstream view might be wrong and it is worth thinking about. Sorry if it came off a like that.

No, I haven't read it. Those kind of books aren't really my cup of tea; almost exclusively stick to fiction.

I know more about pizza than you. Much more in fact. - Cerebral_DownTime

I try my hardest not to be reactionary, but sometimes its just so hard. It was a good book, and feel it is a counterweight to the mainstream, which is basically the "other side" of the arguement. Perhaps it got such a reaction because so much of the Great Depression is a gospel of misplaced solutions that are also being pushed today, or it could be nothing more then seeing what I want to see.

I stick to mostly non-fiction. History, biographies, and philosophy being my favs...

The book fleshed out many of the supporting actors. Gave the era less of a memorabilia feel...

"When a man with money meets a man with experience, the man with experience leaves with money and the man with money leaves with experience."

Just started this. Been a King fan since I was 12. Nothing like 1000+ pages of the master to kill a coupla days.

Yep, just started that one myself. On page 87. I'll probably dink at it here the rest of the week and then get serious with it this weekend, hopefully I'll be halfway done with it by Monday. Quite the beast of a book.

I did recently finish reading "I Heard You Paint Houses," about the death of Jimmy Hoffa. GREAT read.

Just started this. Been a King fan since I was 12. Nothing like 1000+ pages of the master to kill a coupla days.

I'm 12% in on this (kindle) which I suppose puts me at about page 120 or so. I love King and have read about everything he's written. Summer before last I read the entire Dark Tower series from beginning to end. I don't necessarily recommend doing it that way. Buy the end I just wanted to be done.

british pharoah, if you liked "Something Wicked This Way Comes," I might suggest that you check amazon or barnes and noble's "out of print" resource for a copy of "The Seven Faces of Dr Lao" by Charles Finney. It would be a worthy and notable acquisition to any book collection.